Coming into free agency, it was understood that the Detroit Lions were going to have to take a chance on players given the fact they had limited funds to spend. The good news? Detroit did a great job with that.
Recently, Pro Football Focus took a look at putting together a list of the best part thus far of every team’s offseason. When it came to the Lions, analyst Ben Linsey likes what the team was able to do in terms of getting some talent at wide receiver for cheap that can also perform better than their contracts might indicate.
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Linsey wrote:
“I do like how the Lions have gone about adding to the wide receiver corps this offseason, though. Tyrell Williams and Breshad Perriman weren’t hitting 2021 free agency at all-time highs in value. Williams was coming off a relatively large contract in Las Vegas that didn’t pan out, mainly because of injuries that held him out of the entire 2020 season. Perriman also dealt with some injuries last year and played on a Jets offense that earned the lowest team passing grade in the NFL.
Both players profile as viable downfield threats in this offense if they can remain healthy and get solid quarterback play from Jared Goff. Williams and Perriman have both averaged at least 15.0 yards per reception in each of their last three seasons. Detroit was able to sign the pair for a combined $7 million next year, making the investment worth it if just one of them can get back on track in a new environment.”
The Lions did not spend much money at all on either player, so it will be fascinating to see what they can get out of the duo. If both Williams and Perriman come into the mix and provide some better than average production, that would be excellent news for the Lions. If they don’t, the team didn’t lose much at all and can simply start over next year at wideout, making this a true win-win scenario.
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Perriman’s Stats and Career Highlights
In 2015, Perriman was a first-round pick out of UCF by the Baltimore Ravens. He played with the Ravens from 2015 to 2017, then playing for the Washington Football Team and Cleveland Browns in 2018 before joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2019. In 2020, Perriman joined the New York Giants. In terms of stats, he has put up 2,006 yards and 14 touchdowns in his career, but has not been consistent enough to sick in one place.
The good news for Perriman and the Lions? The last two seasons have been a couple of his best, with 9 touchdowns to his credit, so it’s possible he is coming on at the right time. That was the hope the team likely had when signing him, and a major reason this deal could be better than advertised.
Williams’ Stats and Career Highlights
Williams came into the NFL in 2015 as an undrafted free agent out of Western Oregon of the Los Angeles Chargers. He stayed there for the first four seasons of his career before signing with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2019, a spot he stayed for the last two seasons. In terms of production, Williams has bucked the odds for an undrafted free agent in the league, putting up 3,181 yards and 23 touchdowns. Injuries have intervened in his last two seasons, with a foot ailment in 2019 slowing his season and a torn labrum playing a role in 2020. With this in mind, Williams may have to take more of a “prove it” type deal, which the Lions could be willing to give.
In the end, that’s exactly what both Williams and Perriman took, making the deals interesting for the Lions and potentially something to be applauded in the minds of some.
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Analyst Reveals Most Positive Moves From Lions Offseason Thus Far